In mail sorting processes it is known to use a plurality of AFCS (Advanced Facer Canceller System) devices, each of which receives flat rectangular postal items (letters, postcards, documents and magazines in envelopes, etc.) coming from a mail collection and is configured to scan the items fed into it in order to separate items that can be subjected to a mail mechanization cycle from those unsuited to such a cycle. In general, AFCS devices are able to associate a code (for example, a bar code) with a postal item (which is also stamped) that is subsequently used in a mail sorting process.
The mechanizable postal items collected from the AFCS devices are transported (normally using manually-operated trolleys) to the inputs of the DBCS (Delivery Bar Code Sorter) devices that are able to carry out the sorting of the postal items fed in using the codes stamped on the postal items.
The manual handling of postal items constitutes a serious inefficiency in the mail sorting process as it entails significant amounts of time and commits human resources.